


Much Ado About Kylux

by angelsandbrowncoats



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Multi, Shakespeare Quotations
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-24
Updated: 2016-04-24
Packaged: 2018-06-04 05:20:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,356
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6642940
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angelsandbrowncoats/pseuds/angelsandbrowncoats
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Kylo is cast as Benedick in the school play, but his cousin is distracting the other lead, the only one he can turn to for practice is the school's hottest and most condescending. </p><p>Or the one in which Rey and Phasma have too much fun meddling.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. My Dear Lady Disdain

**Author's Note:**

  * For [the_queenregent](https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_queenregent/gifts).



> I attempted to narrate in a more childish manner for Kylo and a pretentious one for Hux. I hope it came across properly. The phone names are what the other person named them, not what they call themselves. I know that's not how ostriches work.

Kylo thought it may have been the happiest moment of his life when he was cast as one of the main roles in the school play. His dream had always been to follow his grandfather and enter the world of acting. Kylo disregarded his parents stories of how fame destroyed Anakin, stage name Darth Vader, who they said had gotten in with the ‘wrong’ crowd. In his joy, he practically ran home, forgetting his one-sided war with his parents, shouting, “Mom! Dad! I got the part!”

“How wonderful, Ben!” his mother replied, reminding him. His smile fell and he stomped off to his room, “IT’S KYLO!”

Slamming his door, he dug his phone out of his desk to text Rey, the only member of his family who he ever felt might understand him.

WannabeDarthVader: Guess who gets 2 play Benedick in the play?  
AlsoDarthsDescendant: It's u. Phas already texted me.   
WannabeDarthVader: who?  
AlsoDarthsDescendant: Phasma. My girlfriend. Playing Beatrice.  
WannabeDarthVader: since when do u have a girlfriend  
AlsoDarthsDescendant: since this afternoon when she asked me out  
WannabeDarthVader: huh

Rey didn't bother to reply, so Kylo decided to open up his script. He began reading and didn't stop until he'd reached the end. It was captivating. Looking up, he saw his alarm clock flashing red numbers that took a moment to register.

1:03

Shit.

•••

Two weeks later, Kylo found himself with a dilemma. The play was in another two weeks, and while he had his lines down okay, he couldn't deliver them with any finesse. Unfortunately for him, Phasma had no such problem.

Why was that unfortunate? It was unfortunate because of Rey, damn his cousin. After he'd shown up at the drama room that day, he'd run into Phasma waltzing out of the room with said cousin.

“Aren't we supposed to practice?”

“We’re only required to practice on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Today happens to be Friday and I don't need extra practice, so I'm taking Rey for ice cream.”

Rey interrupted to protest, “You're not taking me, we’re going together. Drop the macho.”

“I don't think macho can be dropped, dear,” Phasma grinned at her while Rey rolled her eyes, “As you can see, I have more pressing matters.”

“Who should I practice with then?”

Phasma paused to look at him, and a mischievous glint shone in her eye that made Kylo start sweating. She smiled far too nicely and said, “You know, I usually spend my Fridays in the library with my closest friend, goes by Hux. You know him?”

Kylo nodded, “Sure, yeah, kinda.”

“Well, I'm sure he could use some company since he's missing mine. Why don't you ask him for help?”

“Oh. Okay.”

With that, the two walked away, whispering about something they clearly found amusing.

Kylo turned his attention to this new problem. He didn't ‘kinda’ know Hux. He watched Hux from afar. He went about two meters short of stalking the boy. And now he was supposed to turn to him to practice his lines for a play? There was no way that could end well.

And yet his feet seemed to want to take him in the direction of the library. He tried in vain to dissuade them, but they refused to listen. When he found himself standing in front of a table containing some two dozen books, at least as many papers, a Tupperware container filled with bread-like things, and one ginger, Kylo didn't know what to make of it.

He cleared his throat and said, “Excuse me?”

Hux’s head snapped up from the paper he was studying, expression a mix of a glare and confusion, “Yes?”

“Um, so, hey, I'm Kylo- Kylo Ren- and, um, well, Phasma told me that maybe we should hang out since she's dating Rey now and doesn't have time to help us, and… Yeah,” he finished as lamely as he could imagine and the urge to collapse on the ground and cover his head was unmistakable. Was this how ostriches felt?

He shook his thoughts away and saw Hux staring at him, eyes narrowed and lips pursed, “Phasma said that, did she?”

“Uh, yeah. We’re, um, we’re in the play together, and she was supposed to help me with my lines. I need to sound cool, you know.”

Hux scoffed, and Kylo winced at how disdainful he sounded. He tried again, “So, Phasma mentioned that she, uh, helps you here? What with?”

“Editing my speeches,” Hux admitted.

“Your speeches? Since when do you give speeches?”

“Exactly how would you know what I do and do not give? But anyways, I do not give speeches. I'm practicing for my political career. How would one get elected if one could not give elegant or rousing speeches?”

Kylo found his mind wandering down the dangerous path of Hux giving a ‘rousing’ speech and flushed crimson.

He shook his head again and met Hux’s far too passionate eyes, “I've no idea. Hey, what if I help you edit your speeches and you help me improve my lines?”

Hux blinked, brow furrowed, as he considered.

“Alright. Help me finish this one and we can go someplace and practice your delivery,” he finally gave in. He gestured to the container of food, “Have some pirozhki if you want, it's polite to offer and I probably can't eat them all anyways.”

Kylo cheered internally at getting a whole step closer to the hottest boy in school, who (he had been sure) despised him.

•••

And that was how Hux found himself sitting side by side with the most childish boy in school- who somehow happened to be the most attractive- reading a speech on the weaknesses of parliaments and congresses while texting Phasma beneath the table.

GingerGeneral: phas...  
OhCaptainYourCaptain: what? im busy  
GingerGeneral: youre a traitor  
OhCaptainYourCaptain: setting up ones bff does not a traitor make  
GingerGeneral: fuck you  
OhCaptainYourCaptain: im in a stable, caring relationship, how dare u try 2 come between us?  
GingerGeneral: go eat ur ice cream & abandon me to this manchild then  
OhCaptainYourCaptain: *hot manchild  
GingerGeneral: this is why Millie and i hate u  
OhCaptainYourCaptain: ur cat loves me  
GingerGeneral: then she's a traitor 2. Bye traitor. Tell me about ur date later  
OhCaptainYourCaptain: ill give u all the gory details!

Hux resisted the urge to slam his head back on the table as his attention shifted back to Solo, no, Ren. What a fun Friday he was in for.


	2. The Prince's Jester

" _Against my will I am sent to bid you come in to dinner,”_ Hux read flawlessly off the script.

“ _Fair Beatrice, I thank you for your pains.”_

_“I took no more pains for those thanks than you took pains to thank me. If it had been painful, I would not have come.”_

_“You take pleasure then in the message?”_

_“Yea, just so much as you may take upon a knive’s point, and choke a daw withal. You have no stomach, signior, fare you well.”_

Kylo cleared his throat, “ _Ha! ‘Against my will I am sent to bid you come in to dinner’ - there's a double meaning in that. ‘I took no more pains for those thanks than you took pains to thank me’ - that's as much as to say, ‘Any pains I take for you is as easy as thanks.’”_

•••

Hux rolled his eyes, “Stop choking on your words. Start from the last line.”

“ _I do love nothing in the world so well as you- is not that strange?”_

_“As strange as the thing I know not. It were as possible for me to say I lov’d nothing so well as you, but believe me not; and yet I lie not: I confess nothing, nor I deny nothing. I am sorry for my cousin.”_

_“By my sword, Beatrice, thou lovest me.”_

_“Do not swear and eat it.”_

_“I will swear by it that you love me, and I will make him eat it that says I love not you.”_

Hux almost found it funny how obviously flustered Kylo became while they practiced. Almost. It was also annoying, because it prolonged the time he had to read lines at him when he could be planning his family’s political comeback.

He was just about to ask if they could finish for the day, since he had to get home soon anyway, when the sound of Phasma clapping and wolf-whistling behind them made them both jump.

“You have the UST down pat! What is your problem? Why aren’t you two making out in here?”

Kylo was wide-eyed at the suggestion and Hux scoffed. Of course the boy hadn’t thought of it. What did he think it looked like when two people hung out in an empty classroom? Still, he found himself red at the thought, which was truly a problem considering the paleness of his skin.

Hoping Phasma would be discreet if she noticed (although the hope was slim) he replied, “I’m sad to know that acquiring a girlfriend has not moved your mind from the gutter.”

“Please, as if I’d ever leave my homeland.”

“Is there something you wanted?”

Phasma smirked at that, “Actually, there was. Since you’ve been so invested in helping Kylo practice, I figured you’d like to see if he’s made any progress. You should come to rehearsal tomorrow. It’s not the dress rehearsal, don’t worry. Just show up, and maybe give me a ride home?”

“Always with the ulterior motive…” he muttered. Hux sent a glance to Kylo who was watching him far too hopefully. Sighing, he answered, “Fine. I’ll go. And yes you can get a ride.”

“How nice of you to offer,” she grinned and winked, “Later, losers. Use protection.”

Abandoning the room to the sounds of protests, Phasma gave Rey two thumbs up. Their plot was underway.

\---

Hux sat, tapping his foot, as the actors ran about the stage. They did the Bard justice, he conceded. Growing up, his father had ensured he was well-cultured, a tribute, perhaps, to his mother’s memory. It was only now that he realized his reluctance to attend school plays was born of snobbery- he was above school plays. Except maybe he wasn't.

The play itself was just as entertaining as any other Shakespearean comedy, full of wit and deceit. He also had to concede that Kylo looked good, and maybe even a little grown up, in his costume, as opposed to his usual black hoodie and jeans.

Kylo- or rather Benedick- was verbally sparring with Phasma/Beatrice when Hux’s instinct alerted him to a matter of concern. For some reason, the choreography had Phasma step closer and closer while Kylo backed up. That wouldn't be a problem except that Kylo was getting dangerously close to the edge of the stage.

Hux felt more than saw the moment Kylo’s foot stepped back only to land on empty air. He vaulted out of his chair before the shock and fear had even registered on the actor’s face as he tried and failed to keep his balance.

Kylo’s two thoughts as he fell were I hope the fall won’t kill me and why did it have to be the day Hux was watching that I made such a clumsy mistake? when his fall halted abruptly. He'd landed, but whatever he'd landed on was softer than the floor.

When Kylo hit Hux’s arms, the momentum took a moment to catch up and Hux gaped at the thought that he was holding Kylo, before they both tumbled to the ground. Hux had little problem extracting himself.

The movement jarred Kylo back into reality, but he immediately found himself frozen again, this time with embarrassment. He continued lying on the floor, hoping Hux would just walk away.

Having the overconfidence of the rescuing prince coupled with relief at Kylo’s safety, Hux couldn't stop himself from leaning over and closing the small gap between them, instead. The moment his lips touched Kylo’s he realized what he had done and tried to pull away, but Kylo had already latched onto him with koala-esque strength. Knowing Kylo to be physically superior, Hux decided to let himself indulge just this once.

The telltale flash of a camera made them jump apart a moment later. Kylo was staring at Hux, wondering what had just happened. Hux, on the other hand, was glaring at his triumphant friend who stood over them, phone in hand.

“You two are a-dore-a-ble,” she dragged out, using a cooing voice that she usually hated, simply because she knew Hux hated it more. Naturally, Hux flipped her off. Less naturally, he put his arm around Kylo, saying, “Hey, you should get to the nurse. Just because you didn't hit the floor doesn't mean there can't be damage.”

Phasma cackled as Hux turned into the fussy nurse he always denied he could be and sent “Our babies are all grown up :’)” to Rey, along with the picture she’d taken. When Rey replied with “I told you the plan would work” Phasma took a moment to appreciate the wonderful pair they made.

\---

After an uncomfortable hour with the school nurse, improved only by the fact that Hux held his hand through the whole affair, Kylo finally bid him farewell and left to go home. They hadn't spoken about the future, but they didn't have to for both to know there _was_ a future between them.

Kylo walked into his house, a sappy smile on his face, only to stumble to a halt when he realized his parents were sitting at the table with a laptop, watching him expectantly.

“I haven't done anything!”

“You actually did graffiti the garage, but that's beside the point,” his dad reminded him. Kylo rolled his eyes.

“Actually,” his mother grinned conspiratorially, “we were wondering when you were planning on inviting your boyfriend over for dinner. It's only polite, Ben.”

She turned the laptop around, revealing the picture Rey had emailed to them.

Kylo was sure he'd never been so red in his life- the embarrassment coupled with the rage gave him images of steam coming out of his ears like a cartoon. He turned on his heel, slammed his bedroom door, and shouted, “FIRST, IT'S KYLO! SECOND, HE LIKES PIROZHKI!” 


End file.
